Abbey's Good, East Lincoln's Rendleman among those in first Bobcats pre-draft workout session

By Richard Walker

Published: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 03:49 PM.

CHARLOTTE – It’s unlikely either Belmont Abbey College All-American Tyshawn Good or former East Lincoln High two-sport star Keith Rendleman will be drafted by a NBA team in next Thursday’s draft.

But that doesn’t mean Good and Rendleman weren’t delighted to show off their skills for their “hometown” Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday in the team’s first official pre-draft workouts – and the first workout for new head coach Steve Clifford.

“They were very good,” Clifford said. “I thought all the guys did a good job. You know, as far the draft part of it for the coaches, this is the only look you get. Obviously, (general manager) Rich (Cho) and (vice president) Rod (Higgins) and the scouting department are more involved. I just like getting a chance to see the guys live.”

In Good, Clifford got to see the leading scorer in all of college basketball for 2012-13 when he helped the Abbey to its third conference title and earned his second straight All-Conference Carolinas selection.

A native of Jamaica, N.Y., Good says he has long been a Bobcats fan and fellow New Yorker (and point guard) Kemba Walker in particular.

“I used to watch Kemba play at Rice High School,” said Good, who averaged 27.0 points per game last season and became the Abbey’s fifth all-time 2,000-point career scorer. “I followed him in college. He’s like a role model to me. I would love to play with him and learn from him as a player.”

CHARLOTTE – It’s unlikely either Belmont Abbey College All-American Tyshawn Good or former East Lincoln High two-sport star Keith Rendleman will be drafted by a NBA team in next Thursday’s draft.

But that doesn’t mean Good and Rendleman weren’t delighted to show off their skills for their “hometown” Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday in the team’s first official pre-draft workouts – and the first workout for new head coach Steve Clifford.

“They were very good,” Clifford said. “I thought all the guys did a good job. You know, as far the draft part of it for the coaches, this is the only look you get. Obviously, (general manager) Rich (Cho) and (vice president) Rod (Higgins) and the scouting department are more involved. I just like getting a chance to see the guys live.”

In Good, Clifford got to see the leading scorer in all of college basketball for 2012-13 when he helped the Abbey to its third conference title and earned his second straight All-Conference Carolinas selection.

A native of Jamaica, N.Y., Good says he has long been a Bobcats fan and fellow New Yorker (and point guard) Kemba Walker in particular.

“I used to watch Kemba play at Rice High School,” said Good, who averaged 27.0 points per game last season and became the Abbey’s fifth all-time 2,000-point career scorer. “I followed him in college. He’s like a role model to me. I would love to play with him and learn from him as a player.”

Good became the third Belmont Abbey player in three years to work out for the Bobcats, joining Richard Barbee (2011) and Kyle Phillips (2012).

While this was Good’s first workout – and first official performance since playing in March’s National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II All-Star game – he’s hopeful of a future in professional basketball.

“My future plans involved working hard,” Good said. “My agent believes that door is going to open soon. I’m just going to keep working on my craft and improving my game, my ballhandling and my decision-making. I need to adjust to that 3-point line and provide scoring since I’m a proven scorer. But I want to go in wherever I go with a defensive mindset.”

In Rendleman, Clifford got to see a player so talented when he left East Lincoln in 2009 that major college football and basketball coaches recruited him before he chose UNC-Wilmington for basketball.

A two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association honoree at UNC-W, Rendleman ended his career first in career rebounds (1,055) and fourth in scoring (1,516) in Seahawks’ history and one of only eight players in CAA history with 1,000 or more points and rebounds.

“It was great,” Rendleman said of his Bobcats’ workout. “My family would like to see my play in front the hometown. They all want me to make it here.”

Rendleman has already worked out for the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets as well as participating in a large workout in front of 20 teams. He said he’s already received some interest for a summer league invitation from the Hawks and the Indiana Pacers.

“I worked out with a couple of teams,” Rendleman said. “They got a good look at me. Even if I don’t get drafted, I want to play for a summer league.”

A power forward at UNC-Wilmington, Rendleman says he’s spent his workouts trying to show an expanded game to scouts.

“I played the 4 all through college and I want to show how athletic I am and that I have a wing game as well,” Rendleman said. “And I want to show how much better I've gotten since the end of the season.”

An All-Gazette football and basketball player at East Lincoln – and the 2009 Gazette boys basketball player of the year – Rendleman helped the Mustangs advance to the Western Regionals in basketball in 2008 and 2009 and to the Western finals in 2008 and the N.C. 2AA finals in 2009 in football.

NOTES: New Bobcats assistant coach Patrick Ewing met with the media for the first time since his hiring – and after two summers in which he’s been linked to the franchise; He was a finalist for the head coaching job last summer. “I was surprised that I didn’t get (more) interviews,” Ewing said. “But it is what it is. I’m happy to be here now.”…

Ewing will be joined on Clifford’s coaching staff by Stephen Silas and perhaps two other assistants. Silas has now been retained twice by the Bobcats’ coaching staff since he first worked for the team under former head coach (and his father) Paul Silas….

The team picks fourth in next Thursday’s draft and NBADraft.net considers Bennett the most likely selection in its mock draft. The website has Len at No. 1, Kansas guard Ben McLemore at No. 2 and Kentucky center Nerlens Noel at No. 3.

You can reach Richard Walker at 704-869-1841 or by twitter.com/JRWalk22